Part of Speech

Part of Speech

What is Part of Speech

Parts of speech can be defined as words that perform different roles in a sentence. Some parts of speech can perform the functions of other parts of speech too.

Parts of Speech Definition

• The Cambridge Dictionary also gives a similar definition – “One of the grammatical groups into which words are divided, such as noun, verb, and adjective”.

• The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines parts of speech as “one of the classes into which words are divided according to their grammar, such as noun, verb, adjective, etc.”

Words that are used to name, people, places, animals, ideas, and things. Nouns can be classified into two main categories: Common nouns and Proper nouns. Common nouns are generic like ball, car, stick, etc., and proper nouns are more specific like Charles, The White House, The Sun, etc.

Noun

Example of a noun used in sentences:

• She bought a pair of shoes. (thing)

• I have a pet. (animal)

• Is this your book? (object)

• Many people have a fear of darkness. (ideas/abstract nouns)

• He is my brother. (person)

• This is my school. (place)

Words that are used to substitute a noun in a sentence. There are different types of pronouns. Some of them are reflexive pronouns, possessive pronouns, relative pronouns and indefinite pronouns. I, he, she, it, them, his, yours, anyone, nobody, who, etc., are some of the pronouns.

Pronoun

Example of pronoun used in sentences:

• I reached home at six in the evening. (1st person singular pronoun)

• Did someone see a red bag on the counter? (Indefinite pronoun)

• Is this the boy who won the first prize? (Relative pronoun)

• That is my mom. (Possessive pronoun)

• I hurt myself yesterday when we were playing cricket. (Reflexive pronoun)

Words that denote an action that is being performed by the noun or the subject in a sentence. They are also called action words. Some examples of verbs are read, sit, run, pick, garnish, come, pitch, etc.

Verb

​Example of a verb used in sentences:

• Darshana and Arul are going to the movies.

• My friends visited me last week.

• Did you have your breakfast?

• My name is Meenakshi Kishore.

• She plays cricket every day.

Words that are used to provide more information about verbs, adjectives and other adverbs used in a sentence. There are five main types of adverbs namely, adverbs of manner, adverbs of degree, adverbs of frequency, adverbs of time, and adverbs of place. Some examples of adverbs are today, quickly, randomly, early, 10 a.m., etc.

Adverb

​Example of an adverb used in sentences:

• I did not go to school yesterday as I was sick. (Adverb of time)

• Savio reads the newspaper every day. (Adverb of frequency)

• Can you please come quickly? (Adverb of manner)

• Tony was so sleepy that he could hardly keep his eyes open during the meeting. (Adverb of degree)

• Did you come here to buy an umbrella? (Adverb of place)

Words that are used to describe or provide more information about the noun or the subject in a sentence. Some examples of adjectives include good, ugly, quick, beautiful, late, etc.

Adjective

​Example of adjective used in sentences:

• Did you see how big that dog was?

• The weather is pleasant today.

• The red dress you wore on your birthday was lovely.

• My brother had only one chapati for breakfast.

• The place we visited yesterday was serene.

Words that are used to link one part of the sentence to another. Prepositions show the position of the object or subject in a sentence. Some examples of prepositions are in, out, besides, in front of, below, opposite, etc.

​Preposition

​Example of preposition used in sentences:

• The child hid his birthday presents under his bed.

• Mom asked me to go to the store near my school.

• The thieves jumped over the wall and escaped before we could reach home.

• The teacher asked the students to draw lines on the paper so that they could write in straight lines.

A part of speech that is used to connect two different parts of a sentence, phrases, and clauses. Some examples of conjunctions are and, or, for, yet, although, because, not only, etc.

​Conjunction

Example of conjunction used in sentences:

• Jane did not go to work as she was sick.

• Unless you work hard, you cannot score good marks.

• I have not finished my project, yet I went out with my friends.

• Meera and Jasmine had come to my birthday party.

Words that are used to convey strong emotions or feelings. Some examples of interjections are oh, wow, alas, yippee, etc. It is always followed by an exclamation mark.

Interjection

​Example of interjection used in sentences:

• Alas! That is really sad.

• Yippee! We won the match.

• Wow! What a wonderful work of art.